【Authored by Guan察者网, Ruan Jiaqi】

According to the Associated Press, on the 13th local time, the United States announced the lifting of sanctions against Belarusian potassium fertilizer. According to the Belarussian National News Agency, President Lukashenko of Belarus pardoned 123 prisoners that day.

The statement from the Belarusian leader's press office said, "Based on the agreement with President Trump and at his request, considering that the illegal sanctions imposed by the previous Biden administration against the Belarusian potassium fertilizer industry have been canceled, and the process of canceling other illegal sanctions against Belarus has entered an actual stage, the head of state decided to pardon 123 citizens of various countries. These people were previously sentenced under Belarusian law for crimes of different natures such as espionage, terrorism, and extremism."

American media analysis said this is a condition for easing sanctions. As a close ally of Russia, Minsk has long been isolated and sanctioned by the West. The U.S. lifting of sanctions is the latest signal of the improvement of bilateral relations.

President Lukashenko of Belarus meets with U.S. envoy Cole. Belarussian News Agency

Belarus is a major global producer of potash. On August 9, 2021, one week after Lukashenko was re-elected president, the Biden administration imposed new sanctions on Belarusian potash, citing alleged election manipulation. The sanctions targeted Belaruskali OAO, one of Belarus's largest state-owned enterprises and a potash producer.

This sanction severely impacted Belarus's economic pillar and main source of foreign exchange. Since then, Belarus has responded by adjusting export routes and turning to Asian markets.

According to the Belarussian News Agency, after meeting with Lukashenko in Minsk on Friday and Saturday, John Cole, the U.S. special envoy for Belarus, announced the decision to lift the potassium fertilizer sanctions.

Cole said, "According to President Trump's instructions, the United States is lifting the sanctions on potassium fertilizer. I think this is a very good move for Belarus. We are lifting them now."

He also said that discussions on sanctions will continue, and he hopes that in the future, there will be no sanctions at all. This U.S. representative said, "As bilateral relations normalize, more and more sanctions will be lifted."

Cole revealed that the main topic discussed was the "normalization" of bilateral relations, and the two-day meeting was "productive."

He said, "We discussed the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the Venezuela issue. President Lukashenko mentioned many people and many things. We had a very good conversation. We discussed the future. We discussed how to move forward along the path of closer relations between the U.S. and Belarus to achieve normalization. This is our goal."

U.S. envoy Cole

Cole told reporters that Lukashenko provided "good suggestions" on how to resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict. He mentioned that Lukashenko and Russian President Putin are "long-time friends," and their close relationship allows them to discuss such sensitive issues and provide advice to Putin. This is very beneficial under the current situation.

"Of course, President Putin may accept some suggestions, but not others. It is a way that helps advance the process," he added.

When asked what needs to be done to further promote the normalization of relations, Cole said: "It's exactly what we have already been doing. We are lifting sanctions, and the other side is also releasing imprisoned individuals. We continue to have dialogue."

He also pointed out that as dialogue increases, bilateral relations are moving from a cautious testing phase to a more confident development phase.

The Belarussian News Agency reported that before the talks began, Lukashenko told the U.S. representative, "We have many issues. The world is changing very quickly, and new challenges have emerged. We must discuss these issues with you, perhaps even resolve certain topics." It is reported that Lukashenko also praised Trump's efforts to facilitate a ceasefire in the Ukraine-Russia conflict during the talks.

According to Natalia Esmont, the press secretary of the President of Belarus, Cole also delivered personal letters from Trump and First Lady Melania to Lukashenko. In the letters, Trump expressed gratitude to Belarus and wished for the coming Christmas.

"Additionally, Trump mentioned in the letter that he is eagerly waiting for Cole to return to learn about the details of the talks," she added.

Recently, there have been a series of signs of thawing in U.S.-Belarus relations. On September 11, Lukashenko held a five-hour meeting with U.S. special envoy Cole, and after the meeting, the U.S. announced the lifting of sanctions against Belarusian airlines, and Belarus subsequently released 52 prisoners. It was also reported that the U.S. is pushing to resume its embassy in Minsk.

On September 15, two military attachés from the U.S. embassy in Belarus were invited to observe the joint strategic exercises between Belarusian and Russian armed forces titled "West-2025." This exercise took place in the vicinity of NATO, just as tensions between Poland and Belarus were escalating, and Russia and Poland were involved in a dispute over a drone incident.

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine-Russia conflict in 2022, U.S.-Belarus relations have been continuously strained. The Associated Press noted that this shift in diplomatic relations between the two countries is generally seen as a signal of improving bilateral relations.

Regarding the change in U.S.-Belarus relations, Russia earlier stated, "Any diplomatic choice made by Belarus will not affect the stability of the Russia-Belarus union relationship," and the economic and military cooperation between the two countries will remain at a high level.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7583368210125292066/

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